Archaeology

The archaeology collections include material excavated from Sheffield and the Peak District region as well as objects from Ancient Egyptian, Roman and other non-British societies.

The collection was founded by the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society and was transferred to Sheffield’s first public museum at Weston Park in 1875. The collection includes important prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon finds derived from burial mounds in the Derbyshire Peak District by Thomas Bateman between 1840 and 1861. Bateman’s collection includes the Benty Grange Helmet which was the first Anglo-Saxon helmet to be found in Britain.

Around 30% of the collection comprises nationally important material from Sheffield and South Yorkshire dating from Prehistory to the industrial developments of the 1800s. This includes flint implements from Mesolithic sites such as Deepcar and grinding stones used for flour production in Iron Age Wharncliffe. Material such as pottery, knives and coins from Sheffield Castle, which was destroyed above ground in the 1640s, show the town’s importance during the medieval period. Later finds include 18th century pottery from Sheffield Manor and glassware from Gawber and Bolsterstone.

In the last decade the collection has been enhanced by bulk accessions of small archaeological fragments derived from excavations at 18th, 19th and 20th century industrial sites across Sheffield.

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